Improvement in picking cotton from the bolls in the field



2 Sheets-Sheet; 1.

S. S. REMBERT & J. PRESCOTT. FIELD COTTON PIGKER.

\ No. 7,631. Patented Sept. 10, 1.850.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. S. BEMBERT & J. PRESCOTT.

FIELD COTTON PICKER.

No.7,631. Patented Sept. 10, 1850.

Fig-

O ooooooo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

IMPROVEMENT lN PICKING COTTON FROM THE BOLLS IN THE FIELD.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 7,63], dated September10, 1850.

To altavhomft't may 'chncern: I r 7 Be it known that We,'SAM. .S.REMBERT and JEDEDIAH PRESCOTT, of Memphis, in the county of Shelby andState of Tennessee, have invented a new and improved machine for pickingor gathering cotton from the bolls upon the. stalks of the plant whilethey are standin g in the field; and we do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full and exact description thereof, reference being badto the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification. m

Figure l is a perspective view of our cottonpickeryFig. 2, an elevationof its rear end,

and Fig. 3a longitudinal vertical section through the center of themachine.

Similar letters indicate like parts in all the figures. ()urcotton-pickerriscomposed ot' alrameof suitable strength, mounted uponthe axle of two (or more) high wheels, substantially as representedin'the drawings, with which frame arecoinbined the whi ppin g-sh afti\(l,theinclinedgathering-planes L L, the picking-disks A A andpicking-cylinders O (J, the stripping-cylinders'B' D, andcotton-receptacles J K, arranged and operating substantially in themanner reprcsen ted by the drawings, and hereinafter set forth. I

The wheels H H must be ofsuflicient height to enable the axle-tree topass above the tops of the cotton-plants, and the-distance that they areplaced from each other is equal to the space between the different rowsof the cotton-plants. The planes L L incline inward toward each otherfrom their frontto their rear ends, and

are 'made fast to descending portions of the supporting-frame. When themachine is operated in the cotton-field, the wheels pass between acouple of rows and embrace a row of cotton-plants between theinclinedplanes L L. The cotton-plants are first operated uponby thewhipping-cylinder M, the switches radiating from which detach the leavesfrom the plants and open the bolls to the free action of the pickers.

Thepicking-disks A A. aresecured tothe inner ends of horizontal shaftsplaced obliquel y to each other and secured in suitable bearings; Thefaces of the disks A A are armed with sharp teeth, aiid descend asufiticient dis-' tauce below their axles to take hold of the lowestbolls upon the -cotton-plants. By the forof spring-bearings.

ward movement of the machine'thepickingdisks A A are rotated, and theteeth upon their faces take hold of and draw the cotton from the bollsan'd carry it upward to the strip pers or winged cylinders B B, which,by their rapid revolutions in immediate proximity to the faces of thedisks, remove the cotton therefrom and deposit it in the receptacle J.

Near the rear end of the machine are placed the verticalpicking-cylinders U C, which have their peripheries armed with sharppickingteeth. The picking-cylinders U 0 project inward through openingsin the portions of the rear ends of the planes L L, that form the sidesof the cotton-receptacles K K, a sufiicieut space being left at the rearof the cylinders for the cotton gathered by the teeth on theirperipheries to pass into the receptacles K K. The cotton is removed fromthecylindersO O by the rapidly-revolving strippers or winged cylinders DI), placed in close proximity to the peripheries of the cylinders withinthe cottonreceptacles K K y We shall generally placethe disks A A upontheir axles in sucl'ra manner that their positions can be adjusted in orout, or in such a manner that they shall be=forced inward by springs andrendered self-adjusting in their positions. is shalLalso secure thepickingcyli'nders O O in bearings arranged in such a manner thattheirflpositions can be adjusted in or out, or in such a mannerthat'they will be self-adjusting in their positions by the aid We shalluse the pickingdisks in combination-wit'h the picking-cylinders in thesame machine, or we shall employ either a series of picking-disks or aseries of picking-cylinders in a machine, as we may deem expedient, asthere is no ditt'erence in principle, whether we make use ot'disks'orcyli'n'ders in our cotton-picking machine for gathering the cotton. fromthebolls.

Our cotton-picking machine may be'muliiplied and exteuded'to such awidth as to embrace several rows of cotton-plants at once.

The picking disks and cylinders and the strippers or winged cylindersare driven by bands connecting them with the drum E, as represented. Thedrum E is'driven by the friction-pulleys FF at the extremities of itsshaft, bearing agai-nst the friction-wheels G G, secured to the spokesot' the Wheels H H or, instead of the frictionfwheels for impartingmotion to the drum E, cog-wheels may be employed.

Having thus fully described our machine for picking or gathering cottonfrom the bolls upon the stalks of the plants while they are standing inthe field, what we claim as our invention, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-- 1. The combinatioirof the whipping-cylinder M withthe picking-disks A A and the strippers B B, and also the combination ofthe whipping-cylinder M with the picking-cylinders 0 (J and thestrippers D D, substantially in the manner and for the purpose as hereinset forth.

2. The combination of the picking-disks A :K, substantially in themanner and for the purpose herein set forth.

tion of our machine t'orgathering cotton from the bolls in the field wehave hereunto subscribed our names.

SAML. S. REMBERT, JEDEDIAE! PRESCOTT.

Witnesses to the signature of Saml. S. Rembert:

J. HARDING, O. 0. 00mm. Witnesses to the signature ofJededi-ah Prescott:

Z. G. ROBBINS, R.'W. WILCOX.

